


The Rarest of Christmas Miracles

by Applesaday



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-15
Updated: 2017-12-30
Packaged: 2018-09-08 17:07:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,044
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8853316
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Applesaday/pseuds/Applesaday
Summary: Like many Christmas stories, this one is about hope, magic, and love. But unlike other Christmas stories, Santa doesn't exist here. Rather, the North Pole is ruled by an elf named Regina, and when the world's supply of magic is stolen, it's up to her to restore it. Enter Emma, the world's most recalcitrant non-believer, and Regina's newfound challenge: making her believe in Christmas, and most of all, magic.





	1. A Problem

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone!
> 
> I'm sure this comes as a surprise to absolutely no one, but I am continuing my yearly tradition with writing something for the holidays.
> 
> This time, rather than one shots or an unrelated story, I decided to do a Christmas fic.
> 
> Now, this is going to be a halfway cross between Santa Clause 2 and this one tumblr prompt that went something like: person A doesn't believe in Christmas, and person B is the elf who has to make them believe... or something like that.
> 
> I just kinda went along with it and made it my own!
> 
> Lastly: enjoy!

_Every story about the North Pole has one fundamentally wrong fact._

_Santa Claus doesn't actually exist. Some of you might have already been aware of that fact, but here's what you don't know: magical creatures do exist, a_ _nd they all live in the North Pole._

_There, they work together to build toys and all kinds of gifts for the good people of the world, just in time to deliver them for Christmas._

_But of course, it wouldn't be a wise idea to just leave everyone to their own devices. And so, in charge of the entire place was an elf named Regina. Always wearing a red dress, Regina had inherited the role of running the North Pole after her father died. She made sure everything ran smoothly and that everyone had a part to play that they could excel at. She also kept track of who had behaved themselves, and those who hadn't, no matter their age. She also went around the world on the night before Christmas, delivering toys and gifts._

_The whole place ran like a clock, smooth and precise, but always with enough space for hijinks and shenanigans. Overall, the Pole was something like paradise for all the magical creatures. They had a place where they could be free and have fun, not to mention they all thrived doing the work they did. best of all, they lived under the rule of a benevolent leader who sought to accommodate for all their needs._

_But not everything was fun and games. The North Pole also had a second purpose, and that was cultivating and guarding the world's source of magic._

_You see, the world is a magical place, but magic itself is feeble. It can only be cultivated if enough people believe in magic._ _The more believers of magic there are, the more magic there is in the world, and the easier it is to harness it. And as the North Pole ran on magic, they needed people to believe. To accomplish that, Regina was in charge of going around the world and providing_ _Christmas miracles and magical acts for children who stayed up long enough to try and get a glimpse of who would leave a present under their tree._

_However, the world had changed. People weren't believing in magic as much, and that was affecting them. They had enough to get by from year to year, but it wasn't an ideal situation._

_And then, it got worse._

* * *

"We have a problem."

Regina looked up from her desk at the voice. It was Mulan, her second in command. She looked shaken, which was a first for the usually calm and composed elf. Beside her, Snow looked panicked and winded, as if she had just ran a long distance. Regina shucked off her glasses and looked at them expectantly, wondering what got the two women so worried. "If this is about Frank pouring strawberry juice over his sister's head, I am already well aware of that."

"Not exactly. Rumpelstiltskin has robbed most of our magical supply."

"What?" Regina gasped, before thundering, "How? I thought the vault was well-guarded. Not to mention he would need the keys to get in."

Mulan began to explain, "Apparently he used a fair amount of trickery and deceit to get inside. It seems he really hadn't been as reformed as we had believed. Snow also checked the map. Between the amount of magic that the imp took, and the lack of believers, we won't have enough to get us to Christmas."

Regina nodded along, well aware of the map. It measured the amount of magic believers in the world. Then she grew sombre as Mulan finished. "What are our options then?"

Snow took a deep breath before saying, "I think we need more Christmas miracles."

"It's barely November, no one's going to be looking for a miracle now," Regina huffed.

Mulan shook her head. "While that may be true, we need to get our numbers up."

"Besides, it's not just Christmas they have to believe in," Snow added. "Magic works too."

"That's quite true." Regina hummed. "Where do I even get started?"

"I'd say to pick a spot and start there. You don't have to make the entire world believe, just get a few people talking, and word will spread fast," Mulan suggested.

"Well, I suppose I'll be visiting my sister earlier than expected," Regina quipped, an idea forming in her mind. "I can do this quickly enough."

Mulan grimaced. "There is a caveat though...as you can imagine, we have a limited amount of magic left, and we're going to start having to ration. So you have to make people believe while using as little magic as you can."

Being measured was not in Regina's nature, so this just complicated matters. Great. "How will I know how much magic we have left? Is there a way to check or do I have to keep popping up here?"

Both women shook their heads. Mulan said, "I believe we have an enchanted pocket watch that could keep track of that. It's quite old but it should work fine."

Regina looked at her two elves with a deadpan expression. She hadn't been in this position for many years, so she was still trying to understand how everything worked. "Way to be modern."

Snow looked sheepish. "I'll see if I can't find someone who can make something better once this is all behind us."

"Wonderful. Meanwhile, I'll go let my mother know I'll be leaving the Pole in pursuit of more magical Christmas miracles."

* * *

In a quaint house by the North Pole's outskirts, resided Regina's mother. Regina had suggested that her mother could stay with her, but her mother shook her head, wanting the quiet and cozy cottage. Currently, they were sitting by the fireplace, nursing a cup of hot cocoa.

"Miracles?" Cora started, after Regina finished explaining. At Regina's nod, Cora smiled widely and practically preened as she said, "Well, I suppose that if it gets you out of your workshop more frequently, then I'm all for you finding and handing out these miracles. Maybe you'll even find someone...?"

Regina frowned and rolled her eyes. Of course her mother would go this route. "Not really in my plans. Plus, you act like it's very simple to find a partner here. It's not like there's a dating app for finding someone in the North Pole, so it's not entirely my fault I haven't found someone yet.

"Getting back to the topic at hand, I figured I'll just visit Zelena, try my luck there. Surely in New York there must be someone there who can use a bit of magic in their lives."

Cora smiled reassuringly. "Oh I'm certain that city could use plenty of magic. And before you  _completely_  change the topic, I will remind you that you are young and beautiful, so it won't take long before you'll charm someone, I'm sure of it."

"Sure mother. And then when I tell them I live and rule the North Pole, anyone in their right mind will run for the hills."

With a scoff, Cora said, "Pish posh. And you know what, I'll go with you. It's been a while since I've seen my granddaughter."

And so, together, both women got ready and made their way to Regina's magic fireplace, located in the heart of her workshop. That was how she delivered gifts to everyone, using magic to travel through fireplaces.

A small crowd had gathered to see their leader off, and Regina couldn't help but feel a little bit proud that she was so well-respected that people would actually miss her.

As they readied, Regina was given the timepiece that actually served as an indicator of the amount of magic the Pole had. Each tick was one percent of magic gone. Currently she had 40%.

Snow took her aside to add, "Please keep in mind that if you run out of magic, you won't be able to return here. At least, not the easy way."

Regina nodded. "Of course. I'll be careful."

Once she was ready to leave, Regina turned to address the crowd gathered. "I know that everyone is aware of the problem we're facing, but I can assure you, I am personally going to resolve this one way or another. So carry on with your work and your lives, and don't fret, and by the time Christmas is upon us, this matter will be a thing of the past."

A dwarf named Leroy hooted, "Yeah! And if you find that imp, give him a good punch in the face for us will ya?"

Regina grinned. "Oh believe me, I will."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that was Chapter 1!
> 
> Some background, a glimpse of our plot, and of course, the other half of the ship will be showing up next!
> 
> I'll be updating tomorrow, as is customary.
> 
> Love to know your thoughts!


	2. Meetings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back once more!
> 
> A little bit late, but hopefully will still be enjoyable!
> 
> I'm loving the reactions and thoughts about this story, so let's dive right in!

When they arrived, Zelena gave a small yelp and dropped the coffee mug she had in her hand. Thankfully, Regina was able to magically grab the cup before it shattered. She silently cursed her reflexes for stopping the mug with her magic, and hoped she'd be able to condition herself to be more careful with using her supply.

"Give a woman a warning next time will you?" Zelena greeted, trying to catch her breath.

Cora scoffed. "You'd think we were strangers or something."

Before Zelena could come up with a good comeback, they heard a squeal, and something collide against both their legs. "Is it Christmas?!"

Regina laughed as she picked little Robyn up. "Not really. I'm just visiting."

"Oh," Robyn pouted.

"But," Regina began, moving Robyn around so she could hold her with one arm. "I do have a present for you. Have you been good?"

Robyn nodded energetically. "I have!"

Regina let out a full laugh, and pulled out the box she had brought with her, neatly wrapped and tied with a ribbon, onto her free hand. "Here you go."

With another squeal, Robyn grabbed her gift and began to unwrap it. She opened it, and gasped. "Walsh! You fixed him!"

She took out the stuffed monkey from the box and hugged him close. He had gotten a bit banged up and torn after Robyn had misplaced him in the mall a few months ago, and Zelena had pleaded that her sister fix it, as her daughter had quite an attachment to him.

Now, Regina put her niece down, and Zelena pointedly asked, "What do we say Robyn?"

"Thank you auntie Regina!" Robyn flashed a toothy smile, and Regina beamed at her adorableness.

"You're very welcome sweetheart."

As Robyn scampered off to play, Zelena was now staring at her mother and sister, wanting answers. "Okay, what gives? Don't get me wrong, I love having visits from you guys, but as we already established, it is early for Christmas."

Cora answered for Regina, a mischievous smile on her face. "Regina's looking for a partner."

Zelena grinned. "Ooh really? Do tell! Are those long winter nights at the Pole getting too cold Regina dear?"

Regina scoffed and rolled her eyes. " _No_ , I'm not here for that. Mother wishes it were the case, but I'm here to restore magic through Christmas miracles."

When Zelena looked confused, Regina explained the whole story.

By the time she was finished, they were sitting on the couch in Zelena's living room.

"Wow, Christmas without magic, there's a scary thought."

Regina glared at her sister. "I'd rather not have it be a thought at all. But nonetheless, this shouldn't prove to be too much of a challenge and I'll be done before you know it."

Just then, a voice spoke up, "Ah, Regina, I thought I heard you."

It was Belle, Zelena's wife. Their meeting was a classic meet-cute. Zelena was helping Regina handing out gifts one year, and she wound up in Belle's house. Of course, Belle being Belle, she had stayed up late reading a book, and lo and behold, she saw Zelena stepping out of her fireplace. The rest was a whirlwind romance that finally culminated in their marriage and Robyn, their six-year old daughter.

"Oh yes, Regina is here to look for a lover to keep her warm," Zelena teased.

Regina glowered at her. "Will you two quit it with that! I am  _not_  here for that."

And once again Regina set out to explain what exactly she was doing there. Just as she was finishing, someone appeared exiting the fireplace.

Zelena threw her hands up in exasperation. "This isn't bloody Central Station people! You can't just come and go as you please."

The figure who stepped out was aptly decked in a blue frilly dress, and didn't pay any mind to Zelena. Regina tersely greeted, "Blue."

"Regina." The fairy straightened her dress and glanced around the rest of the people gathered with as much interest as if she were looking at a blank white wall. "I was hoping I could catch you still at the Pole, but nonetheless, I heard about the predicament we're in."

Regina ground her teeth and plastered a saccharine smile. "I'm sure you did. But don't worry, I've got this under control."

Blue let out a sound that vaguely resembled a disbelieving scoff.

Cora, who had remained silent until then, narrowed her eyes at Blue and asked, "Do you have a problem with how Regina runs things? Because if I remember correctly, we offered you the opportunity to post one of your own guarding the vault, but  _you_  denied."

The two women were suddenly in an impromptu staring contest. It was well-known that they had a bitter and terse relation, dating back to when Regina's father was still ruling the North Pole. However, for all their rivalry, Blue seemed to understand that right now wasn't the time to dredge up old issues. "Of course. I was just here to see what the plan was on restoring our magical supply."

Regina answered, "Simple, hand out miracles to those who deserve it."

Blue tutted. "That won't do."

"And why the hell not?" Zelena demanded. She already had issues with Blue showing up uninvited to her living room, but even more so with the way she was treating her sister, who she was fiercely protective of.

"Because it won't significantly change the overall levels of how much magic we have." When no one seemed to grasp her point, Blue took a deep breath before adding, "Think about it this way. You cause a miracle and raise our magic levels, but then you need to use magic to realize another miracle, thereby not making any significant changes."

Regina huffed. "That's not true. There is a gain. It might not be very large, but it's possible."

"It'd be fine if you had an entire year, but you barely have two months! You can't possibly think this is doable?" Blue asked.

"I will try."

Blue sighed. "You are certainly stubborn."

"Do you have any ideas?" Belle suddenly asked.

Surprised at being addressed so directly by a human, Blue did a double take, and then took a few seconds to respond, "Why...yes. The simplest way would be True Love. Get two people with a love so pure and powerful, that they will replenish our magical supply for years to come."

Cora scoffed. "There hasn't been such a couple for centuries. At least try to give us viable solutions."

Growing angry at Cora's haughtiness, Blue added, "The  _other_  way would be to get some of the truly most recalcitrant non-believers to believe. Find enough of them, and it'll be better than just helping random people."

Just then, the doorbell rang, and that snapped Zelena to action. "All right. I've been accommodating enough. My daughter has a play-date and I won't have my guests enter the house with two elves and a fairy in plain sight. So shoo! Either go into the guest bedroom to finish your fascinating discussion, or leave."

Blue clearly didn't want to spend more time there than necessary, so she just left the way she came. Regina and Cora were promptly ushered upstairs to the guest bedrooms while Belle opened the door.

"Don't forget to put on your glamours before you head back down," Zelena warned, before going back downstairs, leaving Regina and Cora to unpack in their respective bedrooms. Cora finished faster, so she waited by the door, looking down at her glamour.

"Such a bulky thing. You'd think we were glamouring our entire appearance, not just our ears."

Regina made a face, fastening her own glamour around her neck. "Tell me about it. But I suppose it's better than someone seeing our ears."

"Well, on the bright side, if they did see it, you'd quickly resolve this problem with getting people to believe," Cora quipped.

Humming, Regina walked out of her room. "True. The hardest will be finding enough people who are such non-believers. It'll be like finding a needle in a haystack."

Walking downstairs, the women heard Robyn giggling with someone, and by the kitchen, Belle and Zelena were sitting with a blonde woman who had her back to them.

"Ah! There they are. They just arrived this morning. Emma, meet my sister Regina, and my mother Cora - I'm sure you can guess who is who," Zelena was talking to the blonde, and Cora glared at her daughter for the last comment, which went by unnoticed. "Everyone, this is Emma Swan."

Emma turned in her seat to flash a small smile to the two new Mills women. "Hi there."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that is where I leave you for now! Tomorrow we'll get things really picking up and diving right into the main story.
> 
> Love to know your thoughts!


	3. First Impression

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone!
> 
> Super sorry for the delay, I hadn't meant to just flake off out of nowhere, but anyway, here I am!
> 
> I've been reading everyone's reviews and I'm so happy you've all been enjoying this thus far, and believe me the fluffiness continues.
> 
> Plus Mills sisters being snarky is a thing I can't skip over. So enjoy this!

Regina was rendered speechless as she looked at the beautiful woman in front of her. She was captivated, and much to her chagrin, it was noticeable.

"Do I have something on my face?" Emma asked, hand going to hover over her face, ready to wipe whatever it was off.

Blinking, Regina was quick to recuperate and said, "No, sorry, I was just distracted."

Zelena gave an almost silent snort.

Thankfully, Emma didn't hear it, she merely nodded understandingly. "Yeah, I imagine the flight from Canada can't have been easy."

Both Cora and Regina whipped their heads to face Zelena, who gave them an apologetic look before saying, "Yes, I was just telling Emma that you two had two layovers to get here from the  _Great White North_."

Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, Regina just ran with it. "Oh yes, it was a terrible, but worse was waiting for Zelena to finally show up. My poor sister has the worst sense of direction, and don't even get me started on her timing."

Zelena glared at Regina for that.

Feeling victorious, Regina sighed satisfactorily and continued with, "But we're here now. So, Emma, how do you know Zelena?"

Emma gestured to where the kids were playing. "Through them. You know, it was the craziest thing when I first heard that he had finally made a friend; Henry's a pretty shy boy but he hit it off with Robyn pretty quickly and now they're inseparable."

"Oh yes, they can't even stand to be a weekend apart," Belle added.

Cora was nodding along, and like any inquisitive mother, she asked, "And what do you do, Emma?"

"Oh, I'm an art teacher at a local primary school."

"Fascinating," Cora responded, intrigued. She'd always been a big fan of art, and she loved to talk to artists.

Zelena chuckled. "Careful Emma, mother looks like she wants to whisk you away to talk for hours upon hours about art."

Emma hummed but then looked at the clock on the wall and groaned. "I'd love to, but I've got a meeting with some board directors. They apparently decided to redirect all of my budget to sports supplies and I have to go plead my case."

Regina frowned. "They would do that?"

"Yep. Every single year. Usually I would have back-up, but the only other art teacher in the department left, so I'm here fending by myself, which means things aren't looking up for me." Emma got up and sighed. "But I suppose I might as well try."

Cora harrumphed. "Well, if you need back-up, you've got one in me, I'll give those board members something to think about."

Emma smiled. "As great as that sounds, I'm afraid they only allow faculty members to participate."

"Well, tell us how it goes," Regina said.

"Yeah. When I come back to pick Henry up I'll let you guys know." Emma gave a tense smile and went to say goodbye to Henry before heading out, with Belle locking up behind her.

As soon as she was gone, Zelena pounced. "I daresay someone is smitten," she sing-songed.

Regina looked nonplussed. "What, me?"

Zelena rolled her eyes. "No, the next-door neighbour. Yes you! You couldn't take your eyes from Emma the entire time. You looked like a love-sick puppy."

"I'm not love-sick or a puppy," Regina muttered, looking away.

"No, you're right, you're a love-sick elf," Cora corrected.

Regina rolled her eyes. "I am  _not_  in love!"

"It's nothing to be ashamed of Regina," Belle said, going to give her a one-armed hug. "I mean, she is attractive."

"I'm right here!" Zelena exclaimed incredulously.

Belle just gave her wife a look. "I'm married, not celibate."

Zelena stuck her tongue out but then turned to her sister and said, "Come on Regina, you're not fooling anyone, you totally like her at the very least, we all saw you when you kept staring at her for a solid minute when you met her."

Instead of answering, Regina asked, "Why is everyone so interested in my love life?"

Cora sighed and laid a hand on Regina's shoulder. "Because you're closed off, dear. Ever since you've taken over for your father, you've been so focused on that and that only that you haven't even let yourself live for a while. You used to go out and have a social life. Mind you, I'm not saying you should flake off and do as you please, leaving the Pole to just survive, but you can do both."

Regina floundered at that. "That is not true, I go out plenty of times."

Zelena smirked as she asked, "So when was the last time you went on a date?"

"It was-!" Regina faltered as she tried to recall  _when_  exactly that was.

Everyone began snickering at that and Regina huffed. "Oh shut up."

With a steadying breath, Zelena said, "Trust me on this Regina. When Emma comes to pick Henry up, ask her out. I'm sure you two will get along famously."

Regina pointed to her currently round ears. "And how do I mention this little thing?"

Belle shrugged. "Don't worry about it now, she'll figure it out eventually."

Zelena nodded and jerked her head at Belle. "Take it from her experience, she knows."

"That may be, but I have to get more miracles. I can't be focusing on this," Regina countered.

Cora tutted. "You can very well multi-task."

And so when the doorbell rang a few hours later, Regina prepared herself to talk to Emma again. As she made her way to the foyer, a small body collided against hers. It was a young boy with a mop of messy brown hair. This must be Henry, Emma's son.

"Sorry," Henry mumbled.

"It's quite alright, I didn't see you," Regina responded with a smile, kneeling to be at his eye level. "You're Henry aren't you?"

He nodded energetically. "Nice t'meet you."

Regina chuckled. "It's nice to meet you too. I'm Regina."

He stuck his hand out, and she took it in hers and shook it. Once he let go, he scurried off to his mom shyly, and Regina got back up and walked to where Emma was.

Zelena - who had opened the door - quickly made an excuse that had her leaving the two women alone, but not before she gave her sister a meaningful look.

As Henry put on his shoes, Regina figured this would be the perfect time to ask. Unsure of how to get around to the question at hand, Regina inched closer and instead asked, "How did the meeting go?"

Emma groaned and made a face. "Not good. Now I have to find some way to teach my students with only the supplies at hand."

Regina thought about it for a moment, and asked, "Do you accept private donations?" When Emma frowned, Regina added, "I mean, would you be able to bring in or have someone bring in supplies for you? Or does it have to be with the board's approval?"

With a shrug, Emma said, "Not a clue. No one's ever done it, since we're not a very wealthy school, and no one has the money or the time to spare for what people already see as the 'pointless classes'."

"That's nonsense, art is one of the most important things a child could learn."

"Tell that to everyone at Storybrooke Public. They'd tear you a new one for saying that. Everything is about the super academic or sports. The faculty and the board doesn't realize that they're just kids, they don't need dozens new footballs every single year."

Regina nodded, along, a plan forming in her mind. She put aside her original question for another moment, and just said, "Maybe someone will come along with a solution."

Emma smiled but clearly the subtle comment went over her head. Just then, Henry finished zipping his jacket up. "Ready to go kid?"

Henry nodded, and Emma looked to see if either Belle or Zelena were around as she opened the door. When she didn't see them, she just asked Regina, "Could you tell your sister and Belle thanks for watching Henry?"

"Of course," Regina responded.

"Thanks! See you around!" Emma said, waving good bye and closing the door behind her.

"Indeed," Regina said to herself, going to lock the door before running off to set her plan in motion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that was that!
> 
> I'm sure you can imagine what happens next, and hopefully I can have that next chapter ready soon. If not later today then tomorrow for sure!
> 
> Love to hear your thoughts!


	4. A Date

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone!
> 
> A year later and I am back once more. I sincerely apologize for dropping this story for a year, but by the time I had gotten the energy to tackle this fic again, it was July, and as much as I love to joke about christmas in July, that just wouldn't do for this fic, and so here we are! So let us continue shall we?

The next day, Regina had amassed enough art supplies to fuel every child in the borough. Trying to stay away from magic, she merely went shopping around after a quick search for prestigious art stores nearby. With the help of the employees, she bought bags upon bags of kid-friendly and imaginative art supplies.

Soon, she found herself outside of Emma's school, and she was chastising herself.

Would this be seen as too much? She should be focusing on restoring magic, and yet, here she was, trying to score points with her crush by hand-delivering art supplies.

So she powered on and walked into the main office, explaining what she was doing to the woman that greeted her. After Regina was done, the secretary looked absolutely astounded, and then just stated that she would go fetch the principal.

Regina cursed under her breath. Now surely the principal would tell her off and make her leave.

Imagine her surprise when Regina saw Emma walking up to her, positively baffled. Once she saw Regina, Emma's face lit up in recognition, but she seemed no less confused.

"Hey, Ruby said you had art supplies for me?" Emma asked, each word coming out with more befuddlement in her voice.

Rather than answer, Regina asked, "You're the principal?"

Emma nodded. "Temporary. My predecessor suffered a heart attack, and while she is recuperating nicely, she figured this was a good time to retire, and put me in charge. So this year, I'm pulling double duty."

"Ah. And you figured you would also try to pull some strings with your current position and get your department some supplies?" Regina asked, now understanding how an art teacher had scored a meeting with the school board directors.

Emma shoved her hands in her pockets and ducked her head, seeming repentant for having been found out.

To assuage her, Regina said, "I think that's a very smart idea. I'm only sorry it didn't work out."

Emma shrugged and then nodded at the bags in Regina's hands, wanting to get back to a safer topic. "So, art supplies?"

Regina held out the bags in her hands. "I have more in the car, but yes. All of these supplies are for your students."

"Wow," Emma breathed, eyes wide and mouth gaping. "Why?"

It was Regina's turn to shrug. "I felt like it."

Emma didn't look wholly convinced, but she thankfully didn't persist, and rather said, "Well, I think this means I owe you dinner at the very least."

Regina blinked. "That's fine, you don't-"

"How about tomorrow?" Emma asked.

It took Regina a few moments to answer, "I suppose-"

"Please, I insist. You've done this for me and my art kids after only knowing me for a day, which in my eyes makes you incredibly selfless. You deserve to be thanked properly," Emma explained.

And so that was how Regina found herself speechlessly accepting a dinner invitation.

Which was very much not a date.

* * *

"Of course it's a date!" Zelena exclaimed once Regina had finished explaining what had happened.

Regina scoffed and practically collapsed onto the sofa in Zelena's living room. "Just because a woman asks me for dinner to thank me for something completely irrelevant to romance, it does not mean she is interested in me romantically. I mean, for all I know, she's not even gay."

"She is about as gay as they come, she literally owns a closet full of flannel jackets, can't get more lesbian than that," Zelena pointed out.

Cora being who she was, couldn't resist adding her two cents from her comfortable armchair. "I think it's a lovely idea. You do something nice for her, and she returns it in kind. And if it turns into something more..."

Regina sighed. Of course. "Well, I can see I'm outnumbered."

Zelena went to sit beside her sister. "Relax, we're just pulling your leg."

Cora nodded. "We're just so happy that you are opening your heart to love, so we do get a little carried away."

Regina had to agree it had been a long time that she had truly been in love with someone.

"And of course, some teasing is well overdue, with the way you carried on when I was dating Belle," Zelena said with a nudge.

At that, Regina let out a hum, and her sister changed tack.

"Do you like her?" Zelena asked, suddenly all business.

Somewhat taken aback by the change in tone, Regina just nodded slowly.

"Then go for it, worry about what this is or isn't later. It'll be good for you, I promise," Zelena said.

* * *

And so Regina allowed her mother and sister to help her prepare for this perhaps-date the next evening.

By the time she was at the restaurant waiting, Regina was downright wracked with nerves. She was seated soon enough, but her mind just played out scenarios about how this date would go. It didn't really help with the anxiety, but it did make it easy for her to just distract herself.

So much so that she jumped when someone tapped her on her shoulder after she had been waiting.

"Whoa relax, I'm not gonna attack you."

Regina whipped her head to look at who was talking, and saw none other than the woman who she was kinda-maybe-sorta falling for. She smiled and said, "Sorry about that. I'm a little jumpy."

Emma nodded, going to sit in front of her and reaching for her menu. "Yeah I can see that. Specific reason for the jumpiness?"

"Not really, it's just been a while." The words slipped out before Regina could actively coordinate herself and she internally cringed. That was not what she had meant to say. Well, it was the truth, partially, but Emma didn't need to know that.

"A while since what?" Emma asked, perceptive to say the least.

And unfortunately, Regina's attempt at a lie didn't really score her any points: "Since I've been out...with people that aren't my immediate family."

Emma just raised an eyebrow and opened her menu, glancing between Regina and the appetizers, as if mentally debating what she should focus on to stop the awkwardness.

Regina decided she would try to elaborate, hoping it'd make it less awkward and less like an excuse. "Not that I'm a hermit or anything. It's just that, I'm not sure if Zelena told you I work in the toy business?"

"She vaguely explained that," Emma nodded, seeming more satisfied they were on solid ground.

With a nod Regina continued, "Well, the holidays are coming soon, so I've been so busy with that, I haven't really had much of a social life. At best I would spend some hours with my mother and that's about it. So it's nice to be out and about with someone different."

That seemed to have satisfied Emma, and she beamed. "Well it's the least I could offer. Again, thank you so much for the art kits. The kids all loved them, and I've already got them working on thank-you cards for you."

At that, Regina smiled bashfully. "That is so nice, thank you."

Then Emma turned back to their earlier conversation. "Sorry, I don't mean to pry, but did you say you were preparing for the holidays? Isn't it a bit early? November has just started."

Regina chuckled and shook her head. "It's never too early. Toys for Christmas are a vital part, and it takes a long while to get them all ready. But it pays off in the end."

"I'm sure," Emma said, before taking a sip from her water, seeming now more crestfallen.

And Regina noticed. "Not a fan of the holiday rush?"

"Actually, not a fan at all of the holidays. If it were up to me, I'd just do off with them entirely. Nothing but disappointment," Emma grumbled.

Much to Regina's disappointment, her night had just taken a turn for the worse. This wasn't in any of the many scenarios Regina had figured for tonight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that was this chapter! It's not overly long, just wanting to show that I am back and ready to finish this once and for all!
> 
> I'd love to hear your thoughts while I continue writing the rest of their date!


	5. No Magic, No Christmas

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As promised, a new chapter!
> 
> And just because the previous chapter was replacing an AN, please keep in mind that there might be an update you missed! The first three chapters are from last year, but this one and the previous chapter are from this year, so please read it otherwise this won't make sense!
> 
> With that out of the way, please enjoy!

It was very much a record-scratch moment.

Regina really had to fight her urge to gape or to make a sound of disbelief. Emma might as well have said that she didn't breathe. Of course, perfect timing being what it was, the waiter popped in at that moment, none the wiser to the debacle that was happening within Regina's mind.

When the waiter left, Regina blurted, "What?"

Emma frowned. "What what?"

"You don't like Christmas?" Regina asked.

"Not exactly," Emma scoffed. Regina began to sigh in relief until, "I don't believe in it at all."

Regina's shoulders slumped at that. "You can't be serious."

"And yet, I am," Emma reaffirmed. "I just don't see the point of it."

"But what about Henry?" Regina asked, fearing the answer.

"Well he's obviously young, so I keep the idea alive for now," Emma explained. "I nibble on the cookies he leaves and the whole nine yards, but it's not something I like doing, I'm just setting him up for sadness."

"B-but," Regina began spluttering before taking a calming breath and saying, "But what about the gifts? The magic?"

Emma looked at Regina as if she had grown another head. "What magic? There's no such thing as magic, and the only gifts he receive are from me. I would know. My gift-wrapping skills are nothing impressive."

Regina had a million questions to ask, and a lot of holes to fill, but most importantly, she was beginning to find a legitimate reason to keep spending time with Emma. "Then allow me to prove you wrong."

That piqued Emma's curiosity. "What do you mean? With my gift-"

"I bet that I can make you into a believer of Christmas and magic," Regina interjected, sounding assured enough of her statement to add, "And right in time for Christmas."

Emma snorted. "I doubt it. But you're on."

They shook on it, and they spent the rest of the dinner in amicable conversation, Regina let slip that she had seen live reindeer before, much to Emma's wonder and amusement. Regina tacked that on as her first score in a mental tally, and she hoped she would keep that streak going.

And when dinner finished - with Emma insisting she foot the bill - Regina felt positively smitten. But she had to have rain on her parade in the form of her sister.

When she got back to Zelena's house, she came face to face with her very irate sister. She barely managed to remove her jacket before her sister pounced.

"I swear to everything, I am about to start charging rent," was all she said, before taking her sister by the arm and dragging her to the living room, where she found that the house was a lot more occupied than when she left.

"I hate to ask but, what is going on here?" Regina asked.

In front of her were Mulan and Snow. The former jerked her thumb beside her to their third new visitor, who was standing closer to the fireplace, and said, "Blame the fairy."

Decked out all in green, the fairy waved shyly and said, "I'm really sorry to just barge in, I'm just following orders."

"And what orders are those?" was Regina's next question, not needing to ask whose orders they were.

"We've been kicked out of the Pole!" Snow exclaimed.

Zelena and Regina did a double-take. "What?" the sisters chorused.

The fairy looked like she wanted to shrink and fly away, but Cora, who had been lingering quietly, pinched the fairy's wings. "Oh no dear, you'll be explaining everything right now."

And so, with the help of Mulan and Snow, the fairy explained her story.

"Blue is worried that you won't be able to meet the deadline to restore magic in time for Christmas," the fairy began.

Snow scoffed. "What the fairy's forgetting to add is that Blue made an announcement that things would be different from now on."

"My name is Tink," the fairy interjected.

Mulan glared at her. "Nonetheless, Blue said that any magical use had to be pre-approved, and that toy production can only begin in December. Now, she wanted all of us to drop everything and look over the naughty or nice lists."

Regina was growing more livid by the minute. "And what the hell is she doing with those?"

"She's wanting to know if there's been any lenience with who was on the nice list," Snow continued. "If we found any, we were to report it to her. According to her, with magic levels so low, we have to ration, and anyone who perhaps shouldn't actually be in the nice list but was given a freebie should be booted immediately."

"She has no right!" Zelena exclaimed.

Tink sucked in a breath. "Technically..."

Everyone looked at her, and Cora pinched the wing in her grasp a little tighter. "Speak," she commanded.

"Technically, Blue has been looking after all the lists for years. But since we are short on time and magic, she can't comb over the list again and find all the minor misdemeanours that were ignored before this happened, certainly not by herself," Tink explained more fully.

That got Regina to stomp over to the fireplace, fully intending on heading back to the North Pole and giving Blue a piece of her mind, only to find that the fireplace didn't budge when she waved her hand over it.

"Blue blocked everyone's magic," Snow added. "When we complained and tried to fight her orders, she kicked us out and sent us packing with...Tink here to keep an eye out for her."

"And to prevent you from doing what you were just intending to do," Tink explained. "I'm just as stuck here as the rest of you."

Cora didn't look the least bit fazed by that. "Pity you, two months having to live with humans for two months before going back to your cushy job."

Tink made a face. "Not exactly a cushy job, it was quite boring."

Zelena rolled her eyes. "Don't really care to hear about it, munchkin. Now, where the hell are all of you going to be staying? Because it's not here."

Just then, Belle popped in, wearing an apron, and gaped. "I didn't know we were having more guests."

"We don't," Zelena muttered between gritted teeth. "They invited themselves, and are promptly leaving."

Voices began clamouring to be heard and to plead their case to stay, but they were all swiftly cut off by: "Are you a real fairy?!"

Robyn had come bounding in and began to poke at Tink's wings, which caused Zelena to roll her eyes and mutter, "Foiled by my own daughter, the absolute treachery."

Belle softly elbowed her wife. "Be a little less like a Grinch will you? Let's get everyone settled, we have plenty of space in the basement and a few sleeping bags."

As always, Zelena was powerless to counter her wife, and she relented. "Very well," she spoke up and continued, "Against my better wishes, we will be housing you lot, but if I get another visitor trying to get a place here, I am kicking you all out and making you all pay for the night."

* * *

Later on, Regina still had a nagging thought in her head, so she went down to the basement where Tink had set up her bed far away from Mulan and Snow, and she approached the fairy.

Tink pulled the cover of her bed bag closer to her. "Can I help you?" she asked, a tinge of fear in her voice.

Regina sat down on the floor beside her, and crossed her legs before asking, "You can help, actually. By telling me a little bit more about Blue."

At first, Tink was relieved at the request, but then she frowned. "Why? Are you planning something?"

"Not exactly. I just had dinner with a wonderful woman, and she implied something that makes absolutely no sense. I firmly believe it's to do with your leader."

"You're asking me to tattle on Blue?" Tink asked, appalled.

Regina made a so-so gesture. "Think of it less as tattling and more as helping me inform myself on how Blue meddles in my affairs."

"And if I don't?" Tink asked.

Mulan piped up, "Your face meets my fist."

Snow snickered and lightly slapped Mulan on her arm. "Behave," she hissed.

Regina made no attempt to counter Mulan's comment. "Will you help?"

"What's in it for me?" Tink asked.

It was Snow who answered. "I know what it's like with Blue. I am friends with Nova," - Tink took a sharp breath at hearing the name of the only fairy to get banished by Blue - "and she has told me the things she has you do. How she forces you all to use the names she gives you, not given a social life, and having to follow her instructions to the letter. We can get you away from that."

"I would lose my wings," Tink countered, said wings wilting a bit at that.

"What would you prefer?" Regina asked. "Losing your wings and helping do the right thing, or allowing Blue to potentially destroy Christmas?"

Tink gasped. "Blue is trying to  _save_  Christmas!"

Regina scoffed at that. "Hardly. She wants to keep the magic all to herself, that much is clear. She could care less about humans."

"I don't believe that," Tink said.

"Believe what you will, but it's true. Look at my pocket watch." Regina showed her the accessory Snow had given her. "I came here with 40% and barely used it. Between yesterday and today when Blue took over, I am suddenly faced with only 10% of magic to save all of Christmas, which I also have to somehow run by her with no way to communicate with her. Suspicious, isn't it?"

Tink had to agree that the situation was shady. She sighed and finally said, "I can't promise I'll know everything or be willing to share, but I will answer what I can."

And so Regina readily launched into the burning question she had. "You mentioned that Blue looks at the Naughty and Nice lists, but what else? Is there a list for people that don't believe in Christmas or something like that?"

Regina's fears were confirmed by Tink's nod.

"She made it a long time ago and uses a select group of fairies to keep it updated. You see, Blue believes that people who don't believe in magic or Christmas shouldn't get gifts at all."

"And why the hell not?" Mulan asked.

Tink bit her lip before saying, "Because the way she sees it, that actually won't change anything. Think about it. If you have someone that doesn't believe in Christmas magic, and you inexplicably drop a gift under their tree, what are they more likely to believe: that a so-called 'Santa' dropped it off, or that someone is playing coy or merely forgot that they bought that gift at all?"

While somewhat logical, it only made Regina angrier. "So what? If someone stops believing, they are removed from the Naughty and Nice list and therefore have no chance to recuperate their belief in magic?"

"Basically," Tink said.

Regina groaned. "I swear, when I next see that gnat, I will squash her."

Tink flinched. "Please, just don't tell her I told you this."

"You can't possibly still think that she's in the right?" Snow asked.

"We're fairies. We need magic to thrive. Wasting it on people who don't believe, knowing thatthe number of believers has been steadily in decline, seems like a pointless thing," Tink said.

"But it's not pointless," Regina said. "If we let those people go, then obviously they'll stop believing. If I don't know to deliver gifts to them, they won't ever feel the surprise and wonder that maybe, just maybe, someone is out there delivering gifts all around the world. We need people to believe. We can't wait for some fantastic happening to restore our magic. We have to keep magic alive by any means necessary. Blue thinks that the best way of keeping us safe is by conserving our magic. I think it's the exact opposite, and so did my father.

"Obviously I'm not advocating to just use magic loosely, but for the love of everything, who in their right mind would think that reaffirming that magic isn't real helps us at all?"

That got Tink to think, and she was quiet for a bit, which led Regina to believe it was time for her to take her leave.

"Think about that for a bit, and tomorrow let me know who you think is right and what you plan to do." Regina got up and wished Mulan and Snow good night.

Just as she had reached the stairs, she heard, "You-you're right. I will help you restore magic and keep Christmas alive."

And with those words, Regina felt that nothing could stop her from accomplishing that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that was this chapter! Lots of things being introduced, and you will see how they all come together.
> 
> I'm hoping that I'll be able to start daily updates once again when I get my holidays coming in, so for now, I'll just thank you all for your patience and all the lovely messages, and I hope to have another update soon!


	6. The List of Non-Believers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we continue!
> 
> Terribly sorry for taking so long with this, I ended up spending my holidays just playing video games and rewatching Carmilla, so this chapter took a back seat.

By the time morning rolled around, Regina had a plan and she had to get the pieces moving.

She had barely slept that night, and she was hard-wired. Entering the kitchen, she saw that her elves were quietly sipping their cocoa on the stools by the kitchen island, her mother primly sat at the table like a queen eating a scone. She glanced at Tink from across the table, the latter keeping her head down as she nursed a mug of something.

Zelena meanwhile was preparing lunch for her daughter. Belle had left early to go to her job at the library, so she had the pleasure of having to wake their daughter up later.

"Where is that non-believer list kept?" Regina asked without preamble, barely sitting down beside the fairy.

Zelena, from the counter, groaned. "At least have the decency to wait until we've drank some caffeine."

Regina shrugged. "No time for that. We have the element of surprise."

Tink meanwhile, blinked awake and said, "It's in her office. Can I go back to sleep now?"

"Not yet," Regina said. "What kind of security?"

"The kind of security no elf could crack," Tink deadpanned.

"Good thing it won't be an elf. It'll be an dwarf with an attitude problem, an ostracized fairy, and a dragon," Regina listed.

Tink's eyes popped open. "A what?"

Zelena meanwhile snickered as she said, "Sounds like the wonderful plot of a fantastic movie."

"No seriously, did you just say a dragon?" Tink repeated.

Regina nodded. "Oh yes, fire breathing and all that good stuff."

"They'll burn the whole place down. What is a dragon doing in the North Pole anyway?" Tink asked, appalled.

"She and Regina have a long-standing friendship that I never bothered to get into," Cora mentioned with a sip of her tea. "Some things are better left unexplained."

Regina shot her mother a look. "Despite their comments, my dragon friend has a human form, and I can assure you Mal is perfectly capable of pulling this off without burning anything down. Leroy on the other hand..."

And so, Tink told Regina where the list was, and how to undo all the wards.

"While that's all good and fascinating, but I have a daughter to drop off, and since I have a deadline looming over me, I need one of you yahoos to wait with Robyn until school starts," Zelena said, looking at the congregation before her.

"I'll go with you," Snow volunteered, always eager to help.

Zelena nodded. "Take Regina with you. Despite her silence, her eyes are aglow at the possibility of seeing her paramour."

Before Regina could retort, her sister had already left to go wake her daughter up.

And so, 20 minutes later, a glamoured Regina and Snow were heading to school with Robyn in tow. When they arrived, Regina immediately saw Emma, talking with another man, and her rage and jealousy reared in.  _Who is he and what is he doing near her?_  she savagely thought.

But apparently, she hadn't just thought it, because Snow responded, "I have no idea who you're talking about."

Henry, who had been beside Emma, immediately pointed out Robyn to his mother before both children ran to each other.

Emma and the man beside her turned when Henry left, and when Emma's eyes found Regina's she smiled, and she began to walk their way, beckoning the man she was with to follow her.

Regina tentatively returned the smile, kicking herself for believing Emma was single. She also was gearing up to give Zelena a hearty punch when she saw her next for convincing her that Emma was lesbian. Of course she would be straight and have a handsome man at her side.

"Hey," Emma greeted. "Didn't think I'd see you so soon again; David, this is the woman I told you about, the one who donated all those art supplies."

But David was not listening, he was extending his hand to Snow and saying, "Nice to meet you, I'm David."

Emma quickly grabbed a hold of Regina's arm and pulled her to the side, as the latter watched in fascination when Snow blushed and took David's hand, expecting a shake, but receiving kiss the back of her hand.

"Seems like they hit it off quite well," Emma commented after watching the scene play out before them.

"Yeah," Regina nodded, entranced. And then she was confused and the spell broke. "Wait, you're not mad?"

Emma frowned. "Why would I be mad? I'm happy David is finding love, even if he's being a total sap about it."

Regina tried to not sound too happy as she asked, "So he's not your boyfriend or-"

Emma burst out laughing, putting her hand on Regina's shoulder to keep herself upright, and Regina felt butterflies at the touch. "Oh god no. He is my brother. Well, foster brother. And also an english teacher who loves the classics and a good romance, if you can't tell."

With a barely audible sigh of relief, Regina relaxed, hoping it wasn't noticeable. But Emma did notice, as her hand was still on Regina's shoulder.

"Besides," Emma continued nonchalantly. "I'd have figured Zelena would have told you I'm very much gay."

Regina nodded, cancelling her earlier threat of punching Zelena, for now. "She did."

Emma grinned. "And yet methinks you were jealous when you saw me with David."

Whipping around to face Emma, she was ready to retort until she began regretting her move because Emma was no longer touching her. But she still couldn't let the comment stand so she said, "Absolutely not. I don't do jealousy."

"Seemed like jealousy," Emma sing-songed. "But you didn't have to worry. After last night's dinner, you should know my sights are set on one person only."

Regina did a double take. "Me?"

Emma nodded. "Of course you. Even if you are naively trying to convince me magic is real."

Regina smiled and rolled her eyes. "I still have over a month to prove otherwise."

The bell rang, and Emma was interrupted from countering Regina's answer. Instead, she sighed and said, "Well, time to start herding these kids in. Maybe we can get together soon? Thursday?"

Regina nodded. "I'd like that."

Before Emma left, she gave Regina a peck on the cheek.

"Now to collect Casanova over there," Emma joked.

She finally managed to drag her brother away from a smitten Snow, and Regina was grinning as she approached her friend, making sure to give Robyn a wave. "Had a good time?"

Snow nodded eagerly. "Lovely. David was just incredible!"

"I can see." Regina chuckled. "Come, you can tell me all about him on the way back."

* * *

Of course, Zelena wasted no time in messaging her to ask her how it went with Emma.

Regina just rolled her eyes and responded with a quick  _'fine, aren't you supposed to be working?'_

_'I am, but I still had to ask. I need details!'_

And in true Regina fashion, she merely responded with  _'sorry, too busy saving xmas'_

She didn't look at her phone afterwards, but with the quick manner in which it kept buzzing gave Regina the idea her sister did not like her response.

But she wasn't lying. Mal had come through and delivered the list - via fax no less - and Regina was perusing through the list, each name making her sadder. Some of these names she did recognize. Children that she had delivered to in the past, and that randomly disappeared. Due to how busy she was, she never had time to follow up, and now she knew why.

When Emma's name came up, Regina vowed that she would eventually get everyone on this list to believe again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not pictured: the Devil Meets Prada cast
> 
> Because of course I realize a little bit later that having made Zelena live in NYC, I had to give her a job and then it struck me that Bex was in that movie...well you can put 2 and 2 together.
> 
> Anyway! Happy new year to everyone, I want to say that I'll have another chapter before the new year, but at the same time I'll be a realist and just say that I will finish this in January, so if no one minds a little bit of Christmas spilling over to January, then that's when I'll be wrapping this up!


End file.
